Trainer of Soul
by VonSugarman
Summary: A young trainer sets out on his journey, how will he cope with his past and be able to move on to his future? Especially when things are this dangerous for him and his Pokemon...  Pokemon Yellow Nuzlocke


Feb. 27 1996

The day was just ending, the sun setting over the horizon covered with treetops and rooftops. The street lamps lit up the street, offering light to those who still traveled through the city when the sun had left to rest. One particular man was raising "oohs" and "awes" among the citizens of Saffron city, he was a semi-tall man, brown hair fading to grey slowly as he aged. He wore a long white lab coat with beige slack pants and a red shirt under the coat. It was obvious he was a professor of some sort or another. The man walked on, his arms bent so that his hands fell into one another behind his back. The professor finally stopped in front of a tall building, a large white 'S' with dots in the openings of the 'S'. A man stood beside the door wearing a brightly shaded red uniform, similar to the kind you'd see on a bell-hop at a hotel. He didn't wear a little hat though; instead he wore sunglass comparable to a visor with a special symbol at the bottom of the lens, the same symbol that was on the door.

"Welcome Professor, Mr. Wilburn has been expecting you." The man said his body still and right beside the door as he spoke.

"Thank you, kind sir. Have you heard any news about his wife?" The Professor asked, his arm unbending and outstretching it to offer his hand to the doormen.

The corners of the guard's mouth lifted slightly and he outstretched his own appendage, grasping the Professor's hand in his own. "Indeed, I have. Unfortunately it seems she has fallen ill once more. This time it appears to be graver. I fear she will not make it through this time." The doorman answered, his smile fading away and his arm withdrawing after two shakes with the Professor's.

"I was hoping to hear better news but I suppose I should have expected this. This disease of hers has always returned, more and more powerful each time too." The Professor sighed sadly. "What of their son? Ah… I forget his name."

"Mr. Wilburn son has remained by his mother's side since she was taken to the hospital late last year. He visits her every day before and after his schooling. I visited her a few times; he was playing her favorite song on his little violin." The doorman explained.

"I see, the poor boy… How has been handling this all? Not well, I imagine?" The Professor asked, arching a brow slightly and cocking his head to the left ever so slightly.

"On the contrary, Professor, Mr. Wilburn doesn't seem affected by the situation at all." The doorman replied.

"Hm? I'm sure he must be masking it then. I'll speak to him about it all when I reach his office. Thank you again." The Professor said, nodding and smiling to the doorman before he opened the door and stepped inside the building. The first floor of the building itself was well-lit, comfortable but gave an awkward feel at the same time. It was expected and familiar to the Professor since he had been to this company many times before, each time visiting the same people. The Professor ventured on, his brown shoes tapping the ground and pressing against the blue, shining tiles that lined the floors in numerous rows. In the center of the room were two fountains that met in the middle. Just beside those fountains, all the way on the upper left most side of the room was the receptionist's desk. Sitting behind the desk, and rapidly pounding the keys of the computer's keyboard with her light and slender digits was the receptionist, Setsuko Shun. She was a young woman, still early in her twenties, her long black hair tied back in a ponytail behind her head. She was wearing her usual plain beige uniform, a blazer with a matching skirt. A small bit of a green shirt hinted just beneath the fold of her blazer.

"Oh, Professor! Welcome, I completely forgot you were coming today. Shall I alert Mr. Wilburn of your arrival?" Setsuko asked, looking up the Professor and smiling brightly as she always did.

"We both know Mr. Wilburn hates surprises; if I drop in unannounced it would only annoy him." The Professor answered, returning the smile.

"Very well, just take the elevator to the 10th floor and just walk straight ahead." Setsuko explained. The Professor nodded and thanked the receptionist before turning and heading to the elevator as directed. He pressed one of the many yellow buttons located on the side-bar beside the elevator and looked upwards, staring at the meter that indicated which floor the elevator was currently on. Slowly the red arrow ticked as the elevator climbed its way down to the 1st floor. The red doors of the elevator slid open quickly with a 'swoosh' sound followed by a clank when the doors were fully opened. The Professor stepped into the yellow painted wall and floored elevator, turning around a full 180 when he entered so that he now faced the door for when it opened again.

After a minute or so the elevator arrived at the 10th floor and the door slid opened, swooshing and clanking just like on the 1st floor. There were quite a few differences between the 10th and 1st floor now. The tenth floor felt smaller, more confined in comparison to the 1st. This was mostly because there were rooms within the floor, three to be exact; of course, two of these rooms didn't really have doors. The third, and largest, of the rooms on the floor was the only one with a door. The Professor stepped out of the elevator and walked ahead, entering one of the rooms then stopping at the door of the next. The steel door itself reminded the Professor of a garage door, or maybe a tin house siding, paper shades maybe? Regardless, they were folded like paper, making triangular bumps. Silence filled the floor; there was no one else on the floor besides the Professor and Mr. Wilburn who was assumed to be in the room with the door. Suddenly the door flew upwards, clanking harder than the elevator doors had.

The room was dimly lit only two sources of light were to be found. A small lamp attached to the ceiling which only emitted enough light to reveal the head of a man and a small bit of workspace he seemed to be occupying. The second source of light was coming from a computer screen, the blue light shone brightly, illuminating the side of the man. The man himself simply stood there in silence, his white lab coat stained and covered in spots of all shapes, colors, and sizes. The man sighed, irritated and lifted a hand up, running his digits through his brown hair, combing it some.

"It's so close and yet so far away!" The man groaned, practically shouting as his hand withdrew from the millions of stands of hair on his scalp, balled up to form a fist before slamming back downwards onto the desk in front of him.

"Maybe it will become easier to reach if you take a break and go outside, Wilburn." The Professor suggested, standing at the doorway.

"That or when that wretched waste of space wife of mine finally croaks, or when that squander of my DNA of a son becomes useful for more than funding money." Mr. Wilburn growled, seemingly returning to his work.

"What do you mean? You love your family, don't you?" The Professor asked, raising a brow.

"Of course I mean it, you buffoon! The only reason I married the wench is because my father thought she was suitable for a wife and promised to fund me and whatever lab I worked for should I marry her. The boy was just a pure accident. I let my foolish human needs take control for 1 measly night and that happens!" Mr. Wilburn argued.

"So you married her just to get money from your father?" The Professor shouted, his brows beginning to furrow with rage.

"Of course I did! Why else would I bother wasting my valuable time on anything other than my work? I have no need for anything other than my work." Mr. Wilburn responded.

"How can you do such a thing? How can you even say such things about your son and wife? Do you feel nothing for them at all? You're wife is a beautiful, intelligent, and caring, young woman! And your son is one of the brightest children I've ever met! He knows more about Pokemon than most trainers twice his age!" The Professor bellowed.

"If you care about them so much why don't you take them? I hate children, I hate people in general, all I want is for my father to fun the Silph Co. and for people to leave me alone with my work! I can worry about family later in my life once I've finished my work and become recognized for the genius I am!" Mr. Wilburn yelled, panting once he had finished. His fists had slammed against his desk several times during their arguments, each time growing louder as he forced more power into his fists.

"You don't know how lucky you are to still have your family… I lost everyone, my wife, my son, his wife… the only things I have left are my grandchildren, and all you can do is complain about having them! You aren't deserving of family, you aren't deserving of anything that's given to you!" The Professor screamed, his fists clenching at his sides while his head louder and his face scrunched up.

"Good, I don't anything but my work and reorganization. Now, if you aren't here to discuss the project, leave." Mr. Wilburn said, toning his voice down as he calmed.

"…I don't want to have anything to do with this project so long as you're involved with it." The Professor stated, lifting his head and holding his chin up high. Mr. Wilburn never moved from his spot anymore than slamming his fists into the desk over and over. The two stood there in silence for a moment, the Professor waiting for a response from Mr. Wilburn throughout the silence, hoping to himself that this was all just an act and that his colleague would apologize and admit that he meant none of what he said. What he heard next, however, surprised him deeply.

"Get out." Mr. Wilburn stated gravely.

The Professor clenched his teeth and his fists, withholding his seething rage. He quickly pivoted himself so that his back faced Mr. Wilburn now before he marched out of the room. He strode forth towards the elevator in long steps so as he could get as far away from Mr. Wilburn as fast as he could. The elevator was currently on the 2nd floor and the Professor was in no mood to wait for it now so he continued to the right where the staircase was located and he continued from there. Once the Professor reached the 1st floor he was still steaming with rage, it was clear to anyone who saw him, even the secretary, Setsuko.

"Professor? Is something wrong, or did something happen?" Setsuko asked.

` "Something is very wrong, Setsuko. That childish boy Wilburn is what is wrong! I have never seen anybody so selfish! I refuse to continue any further projects with Silph Co. if he is involved with that plan!" The Professor stated, gritting his teeth as he marched out of the building leaving behind a very confused Setsuko.

The next day the Professor stood in his hotel, packing the last bit of his clothes into his suitcase. Suddenly the phone rang; the Professor arched a brow slightly and picked up the phone, pressing the green button to answer it.

"Hello? Yes, this is Professor Oak; may I ask who this is?" The Professor asked. The other end of the phone was silent for a moment but soon answered. They had obviously been sobbing for a while from the pitch and pauses in their speech as they announced dreadful news to the Professor.

"I-I see… No, don't bother calling his father right now. I'll come and pick the boy up. I'll contact the rest of his family and see if any of them are willing to take him in." The Professor explained, nodding and agreeing once more. "May I speak with her before she goes?" The Professor asked, swallowing heavily to keep himself calm and to silence any potential sobs until after the call.

"S-Samuel?" A soft, feminine voice asked through the phone.

"Yes, I'm here, _." Professor Oak replied, tears beginning to swell up along the corners of his eyes.

"I-it is so nice to hear your voice again…sadly this is the last time, isn't it? Please do me a favor, Samuel…" the female said, her voice growing softer and fainter with the passing seconds.

"W-what, what is it _?" Professor Oak asked, biting down on his bottom lip now.

"_ _ _ _ _" The female answered, her voice fading near the end of her sentence as she released her last breath of life.

The Professor fell silent; he stood there in the room for a moment before falling down onto his knees. His rear pressed against the heels of his shoes as his arm fell to his side, phone in hand. The sky rumbled softly as clouds flashed and bolts of electricity stuck the ground. Water poured from the sky, the rain quickly growing loud as it pounded against the roofs and ground heavily that day. The dark clouds that had hung over the city the entire day finally releasing their grasp on the liquids inside of them, but no matter how loud the rain poured over the city nothing was loud enough to snap the Professor out from his temporary state. The only things he could hear were the echoing final words of his dearly departed friend.


End file.
